Shakespeare Festival Set To Start March 29

Tickets are now on sale for the 1996 Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival, which will feature Julius Caesar and The Two Gentlemen of Verona in more than a month of performances in downtown Orlando.

The festival is set for March 29-May 5 at the Walt Disney Amphitheater in Lake Eola Park, on Rosalind Avenue.

Julius Caesar will be directed by Drama Desk award winner Russell Treyz, whose work with the festival in prior years has included directing Hamlet, As You Like It and Othello. Julius Caesar examines the delicate balance between liberty and government order, honor and power. Friendship moves into betrayal as Caesar's former supporters turn against him out of fear.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona will be given a decidedly modern twist by Jim Helsinger, artistic director of the festival. He has chosen to set the coming-of-age comedy in the late '50s, complete with rock 'n' roll, doo wop, motorcycles and more. Sort of a Shakespeare meets Happy Days. The characters in the play devise elaborate deceptions for passion's sake.

Here are the dates of each play:

Julius Caesar: March 29-31; April 11, 13, 19, 21, 26, 28; May 2, 4.

The Two Gentlemen of Verona: April 5-7, 12, 14, 18, 20, 25, 27; May 3, 5.

Thursday, Friday and Saturday showtimes are 8 p.m.; Sunday shows are at 7 p.m. There also will be 1 p.m. matinees on March 31 and April 14.

Tickets are $30, $20, $10 and $6 for Thursday and Sunday performances; $35, $25, $12 and $8 for Friday and Saturday performances. Group and student discounts are available.

In addition, there will be previews of Julius Caesar at 8 p.m. March 27-28 and previews of The Two Gentlemen of Verona at 8 p.m. April 3-4. All preview seats are $5.

For information and reservations, call the festival box office from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at (407) 841-9787. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster at (407) 839-3900.